The Portland daily press., 1887-12-09
EvERYBopY HAPPY.
Joy In Washington at the Presidents
Free Trade Message.
Some Hard indian Names from the
Sunny South.
other News from the Seat of the
National Government.
Especial to the Press.l

| tariff document. How general and broad
this pleasure is can be well imagined, wher
Henry Watterson crows like an early morn
| ing rooster, and Murat Halstead, in meta
| phorical way, jumps six feet into the all
and cracks his heels together as If he were
one of his own boys in college at Princeton
| The extreme free traders, one and all, arr
pleased. They are more than pleased. They
smile from chin to ear and from ear back tt
chin again. They have got the administra
tion to put itself solidly back of them, anc
are already snuffing for the fray. If fight Il
all they want, they will get plenty of it
The message has put the Republicans tt
feeling finely The air has been cleared III
on all sides, and they feel sure 1t has cleared
to their advantage. When the President
strikes such fair, square blew at wool as
he has done, they see that he has "gone the
whole figure" and are ready to watch and
wait to see where he will bring up. Mean.
time If they only stick solidly to their creed
and make 1t plain that they are back of q
protective tariff, and show up the free raw
material absurdity of the Democratic party,
as illustrated in the message, they will have
made great step toward winning in 1883
This is the verdict ON all sides among them.
Perhaps as good and pointed comment as
was sent out from Washington was the one
with which Marshal Halstead began his
dispatch. '1t reminds me-" he said, ''of the
story of Grant, which was told about the man
tina. went about expressing great indigna-
tion concerning the crucifxion. Somebody
picked him up sharply on it, when he turned
in surprise and said, Heard of it? l never
heard of it till last nightv" Halstead says
that the President, bursting out as he did
like The man in question. The tariff seems
to have struck him all at once, and he writes
until he is forced to insert the statement that
''this is not all for instruction"
One of the most interesting features Of the
Treasury estimates is always the list of pro-
posed appropriations for rivers and harbors,
and frequently great deal of sport is poked
at the New Enganders for the queer names
in their category. But the Southerners, par
ticularly in Florida, have nothing to say.
1t is there even worse than in Maine that
the Indian Technology crops out. Take this
list just as it runs: For improving Yadkin
river, Congaree river, Edisto river, Great
Pee Dee river, Salkiehatchie river, Santee
river, Waccemaw river, Wappoo Cut,
Wateree river Altamaha river, Chatta-
hoochee river. How much, altogether, do
you suppose? Two hundred and forty-six
thousand dellars!
There is always crowd of cranks in and
abous the capitol, but the funniest one who
has appeared lately is the man who calmly
began singing the Doxoly while the House
was organizing little after noon ON Mon
day. He was promptly walked out of doors
and into the streets. But he was not at all
intimidated. He has had all sorts of wild
experiences. When the Brooklyn bridge
was opened, he preached several sermons to
the crowds until the police got him off out of
who approached John l.. Sullivan with
scheme of conversion.
One of the plans outlined briefly in the
estimates is that of preparing harbor de-
fences for the leadingfseaports, in the shape
Of torpedoes. An appropriation of $780,
600 for preparing mining classmates and
cable shafts and galleries SO as to operate
mines, 40 aonouz aoI. lnroo raAu-
asked for at Portland Head, five at Boston,
and three at Narragansett Head. The En-
gineer Corps is very eager to try this system
of harbor defences and will use every means
to secure the appropriation necessary.
see it has been noted in some Democratic
paper that the, Republicans let Mr.. ingalls,
remain president of the Senate because they
were afraid of Riddleberger. This is silly.
90 ic
and there was no necessity of re-electing
Mr.. Ingalls, or of electing any one else in his
place as the officers stood just the same,
holding over. The Senate is the same one
which organized before the nineteenth CEN
tury dawned. and which will go on to the
end of time, unless the constitution is upset.
The topic of the day is Mr.. Blaine's strik-
ing reply to President Cleveland's message.
1t has created great wave of enthusiasm
that has swept up into the National Commit
tee meeting. The admiration for the breadth,
boldness, adroitness and skill of his reply.
and for the immense difference between it
and the commonplace free trade talk OF the
message. have made the Tribune interview
the feature of the week. The choice Of Chi
cago is not considered to have any signif-
canoe in political issue. Everybody agrees
that Mr.. Blaine will be nominated if he
raises finger for it.
VAN.
Senate Committees.
The work of preparing the regular COM
mittees of the Senate is going forward.
Some of the most important committees will
undergo very little change There is but
dfcfr inf fonp mil
that is caused by the retirement of Mr..
Cheney, of New Hampshire. 1t is said that
Senator Chandler, the successor of Mr..
Cheney, will probably fill the vacancy
There is only one vacancy in the appropri-
ations committee, caused by the retirement
of Senator Malone, The commerce COM
mittee loses its chairman, Mcmillan, Conger,
Miller. and Jones, of Florida. Senator
Frye will get the craftsmanship of that COM
mittee, Mr.. Jones, of Nevada, preferring
to retain the Craftsmanship of contingent
expenses, which remains intact. The finance
committee loses Miller, of New York, and it
will remain as formerly, with this excep-
ton. Mr.. Harrison is the only member of
foreign relations who drops out. Mr. Sher-
man will remain at its head. The judiciary
committee loses only Mcmillan; naval
affairs, Jones, of Florida, and Whitthorne;
railroads, Sewell; public lands, Van Wyck.
Mr.. Sawyer will get the craftsmanship Of
post Office and post roads, Military affairs
loses Sewell, Harrison and Camden. Sena-
tor Cameron will take either naval or mill
tary affairs The printing committe remains
intact.
As all the former members of the elections
committee, both Republicans and Demo-
Gratis, are now members of TIE Senate, there
will be no trouble in getting that committee
organized.
Thereis understood to be a disposition
among some Of the Republican Senators to
give Mr. Chandler the craftsmanship of the
naval committee, as he was Secretary of the
Navy, and is therefore well-informed as to
the condition Of the navy. The chief obsta-
Gle is that Senator Cameron is entitled to
that craftsmanship. Mr.. Hawley is to be
chairman of the military affairs committee.
If Mr. Cameron can be suited elsewhere,
Senator Chandler may take charge of the
naval interests in the Senate. Senator Stan
ford will be chairman Of public buildings
and grounds
1t Is understood that Senator Evarts has
been selected for the chairmanship of the
committee on rules.